IndyStar Reporter Makes Caitlin Clark Very Uncomfortable With Strange Comments

I've taken a lot of heat over the past 10 days for asking Dawn Staley a perfectly reasonable and appropriate question about the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports. 

But my question didn't make Staley nearly as uncomfortable as IndyStar reporter Gregg Doyel made Caitlin Clark feel at her Indiana Fever introductory press conference. 

The moderator called on Doyel, who then introduced himself to Clark before saying, "Real quick, let me do this…" 

According to some in the room, Doyel did the heart gesture that Clark frequently does. 

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark makes a heart gesture as Iowa players celebrate after a second round NCAA Tournament win over West Virginia.

(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register/USA TODAY NETWORK)

"You like that?" Clark replies, clearly uncomfortable. 

"I like that you're here. I like that you're here," Doyel responds, in a very creepy way. 

"Yeah, I do that at my family after every game, so it's very cool," Clark says, as she uncomfortably looks down and re-positions the microphone. 

"OK, start doing it to me, and we'll get along just fine," Doyel retorts, clearly trying to ratchet the discomfort level up as high as possible. Mission accomplished. 

IndyStar reporter Gregg Doyel (left) made some bizzarre comments that made Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark (right) very uncomfortable during her introductory press conference. 

(Gregg Doyel/IndyStar/USA TODAY Network)

Cringe warning, but here's the exchange: 

That's hard to watch. And, people let Doyel know after he posted about Clark on X (formerly Twitter). He was, as the kids say, "ratioed."

Caitlin Clark is arguably the most famous athlete playing in Indiana right now. And Gregg Doyel decided that creeping her out at her first press conference was the right move. 

That's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see how it works out for him.